Genetically modified rice hard for some to swallow
- Source: Global Times
- [02:37 December 24 2009]
- Comments
By Huang Jingjing
The approval of two types of genetically engineered pest resistant rice for widespread production in China has generated safety concerns among experts.
The Ministry of Agriculture published a list of crops on stee.agri.gov.cn on October 22 that were granted bio-safety certificates and were approved for agricultural cultivation and production. At the bottom of the list are two transgenic anti-pest rice varieties, TT51 and Bt Shanyou 63, developed in the National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetic Improvement, Huazhong Agricultural Univer-sity (HAU).
Some complained that the ministry violated the public's right to learn the details of the lab work and they should publicize the research and assessment procedures.
"As the safety of the transgenetic food has been an argument, the appraisal of the rice should be transparent," Jiang Gaoming, an academic at the Institute of Botany, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, told China Youth Daily Wednesday.
"We asked to open the name list of the Crop Transgenic Biosafety Committee, which was claimed in charge of the assessment," Jiang said.
Jiang's views were echoed by Fang Lifeng of Greenpeace China's Food and Agriculture campaigner.
"The public should know who made the decision for them and see the complete proof that the rice is totally safe to human beings and for the environment," Fang told the Global Times.
He also said they are not against developing transgenic technology, but they oppose any application of the technology into biosphere and commercialization.
Transgenic rice is created by inserting DNA from another species in it to make it resistant to diseases or insects.
"Experiments carried out in Italy and France show that the transgenic corns would damage the immune system and kidney of the mice," Fang added.
The Global Times requested a comment from the ministry Wednesday with no success.
However, some experts said the safety of transgenic rice is beyond doubt.
